Human evolution: first big game hunting (Introduction)

by David Turell , Wednesday, January 12, 2022, 00:11 (829 days ago) @ David Turell

About two million years ago:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2303888-ancient-humans-may-have-started-hunting-2-...

Ancient humans were regularly butchering animals for meat 2 million years ago. This has long been suspected, but the idea has been bolstered by a systematic study of cut marks on animal bones.

The find cements the view that ancient humans had become active hunters by this time, contrasting with earlier hominins that ate mostly plants.

The new evidence comes from Kanjera South, an archaeological site near Lake Victoria in Kenya. Kanjera South has been excavated on and off since 1995.

Cut marks on animal bones suggest ancient hominins butchered them for their meat, and that they were first on the scene instead of having to scavenge from carnivores like big cats

Comment: The humans were probably Habilis or Erectus. The rest of the article is behind a paywall.